[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

If people are being mocking / aggressive, or suggesting the perpetrators don't deserve punishment for this reason, then I agree, but I also think it should be possible to point out risky behaviour whilst still sympathising with the victim. The problem otherwise is that you are implying that "this ISN'T risky" which makes others less likely to consider it a risk in future.

And again... It clearly IS a risk. It shouldn't be one, rapists shouldn't exist, but it is, and they do, and always will. Shouldn't happen doesn't = won't happen, or even is unlikely to happen.

There's risk in everything, we don't say 'well, this person got murdered but he didn't think of the risks before he got killed so...'

Like Niamh said, she was young and starstruck. She wasn't just going off with random strangers, she was going off with well known people and she probably felt safer for it. The problem here isn't her lack of judgement but the fact that these people abused the trust she had in them, as misplaced as it might be.

Rape goes unreported and unpunished far too much because most victims don't want to be put on trial when they are already in a vulnerable position. Even mentioning the risks she took takes blame away from her attackers. The courts, in these cases, need to focus less on the victim and how they can blame her for what happened and more on establishing whether consent was given or if the victim was even in a position to give consent.

Everything else is just noise.